The Swap Show is an “exhibition exchange between design studios and creative agencies from cities around the world designed to showcase and celebrate creative work internationally”. The 2013 exhibition features the work of four Barcelona studios within the Singapore studio of event organizer Foreign Policy. I love the unique colour palette – full of unexpected pastels, neutrals and brights. Don’t even get me started on the chaotic yet measured typography. I’d be quite delighted if one of those oversized type posters came and lived on my wall…

I’m a longtime admirer of these chic Brass Paperweights by Daniel Emma. And this photograph by Rodrick Bond is simply beautiful. The cornflower blue wall reflects onto the metallic brass surfaces, creating a lovely new palette of blues and greens…

I love the packaging of & Other Stories cosmetics (part of a larger lifestyle brand by Swedish retailers H&M). The rather official typography mixed with splashes of colour makes me think of an artist let loose in the legal department of a company. Not simply for aesthetics, those swatches of hue create a colour-coded ingredient system that works across the collection. I love the embedded typography featured on powders and the rather beautiful streaks of colour dashed across lipstick boxes…

Vibrantly coloured powders and spices exploding on a pounding bass speaker? Um, can I sign up twice? I love this identity and campaign created for BBC Asian Network’s Summer of Music by KentLyons. A fabulous and clever fusion of bright hues, musical machinery and Indian street art motifs/typography. The idea has beautiful effects in both photography and video (and watching the exploding powder is rather hypnotic, no?) I’m not sure summer music has ever looked better…

How beautiful is this feat of handmade typography? Antonius Bui meticulously cut the handwritten lyrics of a song out of paper, creating a sheet of artfully intertwined letters. I love how it lifts up as one piece. Handsome paper design that is both boldly scribbled and quietly delicate…

If colour ever becomes its own religion, I think I found the ideal place of worship. Designed by Olson Kundig Architects, the redevelopment of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Seattle is a striking combination of modern lines and glowing colour. The street-level chapel and courtyard feature clear and coloured glass panels set in two story high steel frames. As the sun shifts throughout the day, this busy downtown space becomes an ever-changing kaleidoscope of coloured light that manages to be both peaceful and vivid. I just love how the simple lines and colour palette turn the idea of traditional stained glass into modern art. No matter what your spiritual outlook may be, I can’t imagine finding this space anything less than heavenly…

Whoa. Geometric lines, a brilliant colour palette AND metallic foil? This tea packaging concept is flipping gorgeous. Designer Ken Lo created several packaging suites to explore the possiblity of astrobrights paper by Polytrade (view all of the packaging ideas here). I am in love with this particular set and really hope a company snaps up the design. Yep, I would definitely have a kitchen counter covered in these magnificent boxes…

I spotted this photograph of origami cranes on Emma Dime this weekend and fell in love with the luscious colour palette and dreamy lighting. A perfect mix of tropical summer hues sprinkled with folded paper shadows…

Pakta is a new Barcelona restaurant from famous culinary pioneers Albert and Ferran Adrià (creators of El Bulli). The menu features Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei cuisine and the interior design is a similarly striking fusion of style. Barcelona studio El Equipo Creativo reflected Japanese design with clean lines and wood details. At the same time, they placed traditional wooden Peruvian looms threaded with thick colourful (or pure white) yarn at angles throughout the space. I love the beautiful juxtaposition of layers. Strikingly modern with a vibrant artifact soul. It’s a lovely way to blend two cultures and a refreshing design for an innovative restaurant…

The very best of design combines aesthetic beauty with vibrant thinking and powerful solutions. I love the “People for Smarter Cities” project by IBM and Ogilvy because it truly brings that combination to life. The goal is to help cities all over the world get smarter (check out the details/interactive element here) and to spread the word, Ogilvy created functional outdoor advertising. A bench, a shelter, a stair ramp — I love the bright colours and most of all, the brilliant concept. It proves that advertising need not be flatly slapped on our buildings but rather, serve an actual purpose in urban life (and hopefully be a bit beautiful too)…

Well, this is one fine merger of design and play. Moon Dominos by Fredricks & Mae are handcrafted from baltic birch and silkscreened with phases of the moon (rather than the traditional dots). What a beautiful object to have sprinkled across a coffee table…

Great product, photography, styling AND use of colour? Now that’s good design. I love this lookbook for Bloc Necklaces by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio. With photography by Charlie Schuck and styling by Ashley Helvey, the strong contrasting palette and mixture of shapes is simple yet strong. I particularly love the sheets of colour held up by models underneath the striking necklaces. Product photography I would happily hang on my wall…